I have been wearing Brooks Adrenaline GTS for women for a half a year now, and it's been a great relief to my feet. It's one of the best "motion-control" sneakers which means the sneaker is ergonomically made to correct for each muscle and parts of the foot to reduce damages. I got this shoes after a long process of trying out various doctors (primary care and podiatrist) and shoes for a couple of months. This may become a too personal story, but it's worth reading if you have a flat feet problem. If not, skip the first two paragraphs.

I have a flat feet problem. When i walk too much, or just standing while cooking for a few hours in the kitchen, my feet gets tired especially around the arch, even as I was a teenager. I did not think much of it till I told my boyfriend about the pain and the little bone that sticks out, called navicular above the arch. He told me it can be fixed and doctors can help me alleviate the pain, like the physical therapy he went for shin split. I never bothered to take a medical attention because my mom would say," you always come up with a problem. There's nothing wrong with you."

I am in grad school, and I can go to the campus infirmary without my mom's permission. So i thought of investigating my arch pain. I went to the primary care doctor. He watched me walk for about 10 steps and told me I have a flat or pronate feet. He gave me a referral to see a podiatrist without any fuss. Wow, it was some problem that a primary doctor can't fix? I'm glad I went. The podiatrist examined my feet carefully including taking two x-rays for each foot and told me I have a mild problem that can be fixed with insoles. My adidas sneaker was getting worn out, so I wanted to buy a nice looking sneaker with health conscience.

I have a wide and small feet, 5.5 EE, according to the measuing device at the shoe store. I went to four sports store before Brooks GTS was introduced to me.

First I tried New Balance, according to my boyfriend's recommendation and my liking towards New Balance shoes looks and brand name. He said New Balance shoes are well made compared with other sports shoes like Adidas or Nike that goes more for the looks rather than its function. New Balance offers four types of lasts, SL-1, Sl-2, and etc. Lasts are the category of feet types. I looked for Sl-2 because I have wide front width with narrow ankles. The first shoes I was recommended by a salesman was New Balance 815. My category was set to "motion control" and Sl-2. I tried 7B, and it was a bit tight. So I went to look for 815 7.5B and more New Balance collections at other stores. Running shoe sizes comes out much larger than your other shoes, and it varies from companies to companies. The price was $75, and I checked around on internet and chain stores for more collection and sales.

I got New Balance 765 7.5B from a small sports store. It's pretty and sporty blue sneakers. I came home and wore the sneaker to break in, an within an hour, my pinky bone started hurting because it can't expand inside the shoe due to a plastic rim material. I wanted to return it but they only give store credits, so the store manager worked hard this time to look for the right one.

He took out Saucony and Mizuno which comes with a wider width, but there was still some problem with decoration on the sneaker that would not allow my feet to relax.

He took out Brooks GTS Adrenaline, and it was the perfect match. I'm wearing 7B now. The outside is made of a soft cloth, but not soft enough to tear till now (6 months). The drawback is that if it rains, the shoes get wet. But if you are walking in the rain, it will get wet above toes and never inside. It also means it's easy to clean. I dump my shoes in the washer but don't put it into a dryer. The salsperson told me it will degrade the cushioning, so it's better to air dry. The insole comes out, and you can put your own. The sponges below the arch is made with a denser sponge to absorb more shocks, but for a real arch support, you can buy Dr. Scholl's arch support for $9 or so "Arch support." The insole I got from the podiatrist was $35 (no insurance coverage), but it still gives me pain whereas Dr. Scholl's doesn't. Gel insole doesn't help, in my opinion. You need to raise and support your arch with spring action rather than a gel that shapes into your feet without correction. All my toes are free to wiggle or spread inside the sneaker so I have no more ingrown toe nail problem. But I still have a good grip to the shoes with all other parts of my feet so that it doesn't feel loose.

I bought it for $85 but got another pair on e-bay for $40. As long as you know which one is the one you want, you can save considerably by shopping online.

Of all the stores I've tried, the smaller store had a better care. The big chain store might looks awesome in their varietries, but their sales person tend not to know much about different sports shoes as they are part-time workers. They just bring the shoes from the back and ask if you like it or not. You have little service or time to find the right one. On the other hand, the store I went was a family owned business, and the store manager spent maybe 20-30 minutes showing me 5 shoes (putting laces, check the room in all sides, thinking about other shoe options) with his comments on what each pair of shoes has to offer. It reminds me of the movie, "you've got mail." I did not mind paying $85 for this service and quality, and you should ask for those service for your own good.

Another potential nice looking and comfortable shoes I've discovered recently is Asics GT 2090 and up( 2100, etc.) My boyfriend was with me and told me this is the best running shoes in the market. It's like Acura vs. Honda, the better crop. It's a similar type of arch support and I saw it at an outlet mall for $75. I tried it on, and I fit well to 7.5. Now that I know my size, I can buy it for a cheaper price online.

Recommended: Yes